Daisy
by KoKo-3r3h
Summary: Aya's father, who works as a gardener at Meisho Daichi, falls ill. Her desire to help her father resulted her to take up the job. Rei, for the first time in his life, will do anything to make a certain someone's life easier. But he's not the only one.
1. Chapter 1

_Far, Far, you come from a distance._

_How must my quivering heart speak?_

_From the very start you took my heart._

**Flowerpot**

"Aya," her slender hand stopped and lay idly on the stainless steel doorknob. She knew what was coming next for she had heard it countless of times since the last couple of weeks, "I'm sorry."

It always came with an apologetic smile after each phrase and all she could do was smile back at him. She only wished he would stop apologizing all the time when clearly it wasn't his fault. When clearly his illness was inevitable. Words she wanted to convey would be stuck in her throat.

From that day on, she'd do nothing but berate herself. She was the one to be blamed. She was the one who should be asking for forgiveness and not him.

Aya knew her father was growing frail. Ever since her mother died, he had been working twice as hard. People would comment how awing her father was. She felt proud. So proud that she failed to notice her father's condition had already come to its worse. That was her biggest mistake. Not doing anything when a lot of opportunities had been bestowed upon her.

"See you later, Dad." She said and closed the door behind her.

Meisho Daichi Gakuen is an elite escalator school and though it is populated by anything but female students, it is widely known throughout Japan. Parents from rich, high-society families who wills nothing but the best-far from any "distractions"-for their heirs, sends them to this particular prestigious academy which sits in the city of Shibuya.

Racing up the hill towards the school he's currently attending, Yuya cursed under his breath despite having to pant heavily already. His blonde fringes sticking to his forehead due to sweat didn't make it feel any better as well. Voted as the student council's vice-president, arriving late at their first meeting for the new school year would surely cost him his seat in the student council.

Yuya felt a little smile creep its way to his face as the corner that leads to the massive school gates of Meisho Daichi came into view. He placed a little more effort into his running, thinking that if he did he might just make it in time for the meeting. And thought wrong.

As he turned right at the corner, crashing into somebody was in the least he expected to happen. The body felt small against his before it got knocked down to the concrete floor.

Yuya heard a feminine groan but still checked to see who the person he crashed into was. He was surprised to see a female his age within the premises of his all-boys school but put his surfacing inquiries aside upon seeing the person in pain while trying to stand up. She had long threads of silky hair as dark as a coal that reached to her waist, he noted.

"Are you okay?" Yuya held out his hand and grabbed the person by her arm. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going." He continued as he helped the person regain her balance.

Aya heard the worried tone of his voice and offered him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. It was an accident." She then picked her shoulder bag up from the ground before facing the guy again. "Thank you." Aya added.

Yuya was about to utter something again when his name being called out filled the silent morning. They both diverted their eyes from one another and to the owner of voice. It was a guy with short, pale brown hair and slanted eyes. As the guy brushed past them, he grinned at Yuya and glanced at Aya and then back to Yuya. "Stop flirting around, dude...You're already running late." He managed to say in between his gasps.

Aya could only hear the surprised gasp of sudden realization from the blonde guy before he made a dash after his friend and disappear behind the iron gate. She chuckled a little to herself and thought Yuya was kind of funny.

_._._._._

Aya heaved a sigh of relief as she closed the oak door behind her. Now that she had spoken and had a brief conversation with the principal of the academy, it was like a heavy burden has been lifted up from her shoulders. She admitted that at first she was very nervous and worried about the whole thing. Regarding about being a gardener, she felt confident about her skills. She did learn from the best. But working in a new environment _excessively_ distinct from hers, the thought of it makes her knees tremble with doubt and fear.

Her eyes were cast down the whole time as she walked through the halls of Meisho Daichi. There were no other sounds except for the shrills of their footsteps against the polished floors. Doors of classrooms were shut closed as classes were currently in session.

"Don't worry." The tall man beside Aya broke the silence. "As long as you keep a low profile..as long as you keep your distance away from these kids..you'll do fine."

Aya strained her neck to look at her father's old acquaintance and watched him with wide, surprised eyes. The man glanced down and smiled gently at her and ruffled her silky hair. She felt an urge to smile back at him, grateful that there was another person to add who comprehends her current situation.

They continued to walk towards the back of the building where the shed was and let silence sink in again.

It was early spring, the first week of April, but the sun was already beating down its rays brightly down below. The little beams of light found its way towards a particular room within the eastern building of Meisho Daichi and illuminated the dim room from behind the closed drapery.

Rei's eyes slowly fluttered open as another radiating stream of sunlight hit his face. Even with the drapery hanging loosely and enclosing the single bed of the infirmary from any disturbance, it was useless if the window was left open to let some breeze in. He remembered closing the glass window before proceeding to the soft cushion and figured someone must have come inside and cracked it open.

Having been distracted from his supposedly peaceful nap, Rei decided altogether to get up and meet his friend. He glanced at his wristwatch and judging by the hands and where it was pointing at, the bell indicating lunch break would soon chime.

He draggingly sat upright on the bed and slipped his school shoes on, but his blazer seemed to be nowhere around the room. He searched the tiled white floor though knowing it was a futile attempt.

Rei glanced around the room leisurely and when he came across near the window, a small figure one storey below caught his attention. Surprised to see an actual female within the school grounds, he walked closer to the window to get a better look. He remembered hearing some insignificant rumor about the school hiring a new staff since the retirement of another in the last couple of months but he never thought it would be a female. Moreover, he never expected it to be a girl around his age.

Narrowing his eyes a little bit more-as if he'd get a better view if he did-the new recruit seemed to be busy eyeing some object. And judging by the mere view he perceived from his distance and where he stood, she looked immersed at what seemed like a flowerpot.

Aya examined the flowerpot more closely. She figured it must be antique since the edges were chipped and the green paint has almost faded. It was covered in dust all over as well and the little remainder of soil inside has dried up and hardened.

Simultaneously at the sound of the lunch bell, Aya glanced up at the 4-storey building and into one of the windows. Her heart skipped a beat when she locked eyes with a dark-haired boy. She felt timid and the need to get out of sight as the piercing gaze he was giving her grew more intense. But she couldn't move a muscle.

"Aya," a deep voice called out her name, "go have your lunch, kid. Leave the trimming after you've eaten." The moment when her father's acquaintance showed up, Aya never felt grateful than ever. She couldn't ask for more than his good timing. "You're looking rather pale." He added a comment. Aya nodded her head once and removed the gloves on her hands. When she was alone again, she took the risk to glance up at the window again to see if the boy was still there.

He wasn't.

Truth be told, she didn't bring any lunch with her. And since she didn't bring any lunch, she didn't know where else to go. Her father's acquaintance has disappeared and when she went to the staff's lounge, there was no shadow of him. She thought about taking a little tour around the perimeter to get herself more familiarize with the vast grounds of Meisho Daichi but was suddenly reminded of the little advice she was given earlier.

While pacing around, with hope in her heart that she might run into her father's acquaintance by chance, Aya stumbled back at the shed and saw her pair of gardening gloves sitting beside the flowerpot.

Not knowing what else to do, she snatched the gloves without a second thought and decided to trim the shrubs and maybe kill time. Along the way, she realized that if the job was done sooner, then maybe she'd get to go home earlier as well. Aya grabbed a few tools needed from the shed and slid it in in the gardening pouch that hung from her hips. She glanced around the area, looking for the most desolated place to start at.

Of course, it was obvious it'd be at the farthest corner and that was where she ended up going.

Aya slipped the gloves on and began observing the shrubs with keen eyes. Her appointed job was to clip the shrubs into a spherical topiary. The leafy bush wasn't much distorted, making it a lot easier to shape into a perfect sphere.

But the mid-day sun was beating down brightly that she had to squint her eyes while focusing on her job. The wind was still chilly, reminding her of the bitter winter. It didn't feel pleasant. At least for her. She felt a little light-headed and her vision became hazy for a brief moment.

"Hey, you're the girl I ran into." Yuya's lively voice ceased her consciousness from slipping away.

Aya, having recognized the voice already, was not surprised at all. Well, at least not until she noticed the person who the blonde guy was with. She wasn't sure if it was the boy she saw at the window but she had a tiny hunch it was him.

Aya studied Rei more carefully. He had dark-brown hair and deep blue eyes. And he was still wearing his uniform without a blazer on. Now that she had taken a closer look at him, he undeniably had a pretty face. She grew frantic mentally as she felt her cheeks burn red and was glad to spot her father's friend pass by.

She didn't waste any more time and spoke. "I-I'm sorry but I-ha-ve to go." She stammered and felt embarrassed for speaking curtly when the blonde was still talking. "B-Bye!"

Aya executed a bow but she did it so rashly that the light-headedness she experienced earlier finally got the better of her.

As she tried to regain her upright posture, everything was spinning through her half closed lids.

Skipping meals and taking little sleep was never a good idea from the start. She had known that but overlooked the fact. She thought she could handle it. She was proved wrong.

Aya lost her balance. Everything went black.

But before her unconsciousness could sink in completely, she felt being embraced by a warm body and held by a pair of gentle arms.

* * *

Tell me! Is the plot too cliché? Should I continue? Let me hear your opinions! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Changed my pen name for the 3rd time. But no worries. KoKo-3r3h is now the official. Won't be changing it ever again! Now, on with the story. Errors will be fixed later.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gals!

* * *

_I didn't want to know _

_what it was like to fall in love with someone._

_But I'm falling in love with you._

_Will this feeling do nothing but swell, or will you notice it_

_even though I've never said anything?  
_

**Eternal Snow**_**  
**_

When Aya came to, she was greeted by a blinding light. She had to blink a few times before she could finally see clearly. A white ceiling. White walls. The stink of anesthetic. The hospital.

Two IV bags hung from the silver pole with its two IV lines snaking to her skin. It wasn't her first visit to the hospital. In fact, over the last five years, she had been visiting the building countless of times. But not as a patient. Not until now.

The room was too quiet and Aya began to feel uncomfortable. She didn't know how long she had been knocked out. Hospitals were never pleasing to her and felt the need to get out as soon as possible. The stink of medicine and the melancholic atmosphere were suffocating. Any longer than this she'll go mad.

A light rustle of a fabric and she stopped.

In the same room, sitting at a corner, was her father. Her ailing father.

How _long_ had she been here? How_ long _had _he _been here? She kept asking herself. The thought made it hard for her to swallow and her eyes swell with tears.

The weary man's eyes fluttered open and saw his daughter with her head cast down, fisting the sheets in her hands. Her tiny shoulders shaking. Quickly, he stumbled over to her and knelt down on the side of the bed.

"What's wrong, dear? Are you hurting somewhere?"

Aya heard her father's worried voice. His hands found hers and enveloped it tightly in his while repeating the same questions. She gazed up and looked at the person dearest to her. His face was paler than before. He lost more weight than the last time she saw him. The last thing she ever wanted to do was put more stress on him. And now, she had done it.

"I'm sorry, Aya." Her father closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He sobbed.

A tear rolled down her cheek. _Why do you keep apologising?_

_._._._._

The next morning she was able to check out of the hospital. The doctor informed her it was due to dehydration and exertion but even so should not be overlooked. She finally found out she had been asleep for a day and a half. A total of three days without pay. That is, if she still held the job. After having displayed her incompetence, it might have cost her the job—a well-paying job as a gardener.

That afternoon, after her father had fallen sound asleep, she sneaked out and walked her way to Meisho Daichi. The place was almost deserted by the time she arrived. Most people left were the staff though a few students still lingered about.

Aya kept her head down, avoiding the glances of the male population that were thrown at her while she made her way to the office—only glancing up once in a while to see if she turned at the right corner.

Despite the ample land, it didn't take her long to get to the principal's office. The little tour she ventured on her first day finally proved its worth. And once again, she found herself standing before the mahogany door.

She took one small, deep breath and exhaled slowly.

And then knocked three times on the wood.

_._._._._

"One order of Mille-feuille with ice tea and one Napoleon Cake." Aya repeated the orders while jotting down the words on the little notepad. "Any drinks with that, Sir?"

"Just a glass of water, thank you." He said after pausing for a moment. Aya quickly wrote down the letters before she gathered the menus from the couple.

"I'll be right back with your order."

She walked to the counter and tore off the page with the orders on it, passing it to Towa who then gave it to Tatsuki, a tanned boy her age but with the skill that matches a professional patissier. He once mentioned his family runs a ramen shop and when she asked him why he works at a cafe instead of his father's business, he just smiles and then changes the subject. At that moment, Aya thought of him as weird yet mysterious. The rest of his family lives on the countryside while he in the city. Towa, the owner and manager, doesn't seem to care much. In fact, she was very much obliged to hire him when she witnessed his enthusiasm and his talent.

Towa struck the bell with her palm and eyed Aya that her order was ready.

"One order of Mille-feuille, iced tea, and Napoleon Cake." She mouthed the words for the third time and placed the pastries in front of who ordered them followed by a glass and a pitcher of water.

"Oh, and could I add an order of two Caramel Custard?" The woman asked.

"Of course." Aya said gleefully. "Should I serve it now or later?"

"No." The woman simultaneously shook her head. "We'll have it for to go. Thanks."

Right then, a couple of high school lads came in from the door. They were greeted by a short haired girl. The girl led them to a table for two and gave each a copy of their menu before she left them to choose their orders.

"I'm gonna be late for work." Rei muttered in slight annoyance.

"Just this once, Rei. I heard they've just opened up a week ago." Yuya said with pleading voice, his eyes not once leaving the menu. "And I really wanted to try their sweets." He further explained—eyes still glued to the paper before him. "And it's embarrassing for a guy to eat alone at a cafe." He finished and continued to scan the contents.

Rei heaved a sigh of defeat. "You have 30 minutes."

"Aya!" The blonde gal said with a breath. "Can you see to table 8? I've got my hands full at the moment."

Table 8 was located just beyond the elaborate wooden divider and both parties were really surprised when they saw each other at the place they least expected to.

"It's you!" Yuya bellowed with a smile. A few people glanced their way at the sudden outburst.

"Hi." Aya greeted sheepishly.

"So, you work here now?" The blonde asked, after eyeing Aya from head to toe with narrowed orbs. He settled down the menu on the table and turned his full attention to her. Rei, at the same time, looked at her as if anticipating her answer as well.

The bell chimed once. Seeing her co-worker, Miyu, and her tray full of pastries and parfaits, Aya excused herself politely and hurried over to deliver the food to the customer.

Both young men watched as Aya scurried over to the counter, then to the other table, and back to them. She stood beside their table with the notepad and pen ready. The cafe was a hit but they were understaffed.

Yuya reluctantly snatched his menu from the table and began to recite his order. Aya then glanced at Rei.

"I'll have coffee."

_._._._._

10 PM.

When Aya first stepped out of the glass door of Palm Tree Cafe, another surprise was waiting for her.

A silhouette of a man was standing on the edge of the pavement. His broad back was facing her but she recognised who it belonged to. Somehow, she could tell.

Rei. Or so that was what his friend called him.

"Aya. Let's go." Miyu came out of the door.

At the sound of her name, Rei turned his body around. The two locked gazes with each other while Miyu kept switching from the stoic but handsome face to the saucer-eyed Aya and back. Sensing something between them, she patted Aya lightly on the shoulder.

"See you tomorrow, Aya!" Miyu bid farewell.

And she was quick to walk...jog...run.

Once Miyu disappeared from view, Aya turned her gaze back to Rei, who did the same.

"Thought I'd walk you home." He finally said after a few more inquiring stares from a very confused Aya. "I work part-time over there." He gestured behind him.

Index. The name of the cd store. Located right across the cafe.

* * *

And there you have it. Questions are probably running amok inside your head. Like, 'wth? So she's not workin' Rei's school anymore? But the summary said she would be?'

Patience, my dears. All will be revealed and answered in time.

Let me know how I'm doing with this story. _Any say you have_.


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